Second Chances
by lisadawes
Summary: After the uprising, Connor is neither deviant nor machine. But when Zlatko takes away his memories, Connor needs to figure out what he truly is...with some help from Hank, of course. K for some language. Chapter three and epilogue is now up!
1. Chapter 1

SECOND CHANCES

Part one

Gavin glanced up in irritation as the sound _Knights of the Black Death_ played out on the music player. "Really?" he asked.

His partner, Connor, just shrugged as he drove. "I find it relaxes me," he said.

"I'm pretty sure you've got a bug in your programming," Gavin muttered, well under his breath. He glanced at the street. Or rather, the nice pile of rubble that used to be the street. Since the uprising, things had changed. They had all changed, one way or another.

Gavin didn't really know much of Connor's role in it, except that the android was about to shoot the deviant leader from the rooftop and Hank talked him out of it. Then the uprising happened, causing most of the city to evacuate. At the same time, some nut had decided that the best way to respond to this was to bomb the hell out of CyberLife. There wasn't much of it left, otherwise Connor would have certainly been recalled by now. By the time the dust had settled, there were a lot of casualties from all sides. While deviants were technically in control of Detroit, there were pockets of everyone still left. After things had reasonably calmed down, Gavin had returned to the police station, only to find the entire precinct evacuated, except for Hank, Connor, and four junior officers.

"What should we do?" Gavin had asked at the time.

In response, Hank walked up to Fowler's desk, sat in the chair, and put his boots on the desk. He grinned. "Any objections?"

So, life eventually went on. Crime went on as well. And now he was stuck with an android playing black metal. He didn't like Connor, or trust him. But they were certainly short of people and Hank seemed determined to put them together more often than not. "So what do we know about this guy?"

"Not much," Connor said as Gavin pulled up the file. "Zlatko Andronikov, aged fourty-eight. Has considerable wealth due to his Russian ties. He was jailed for a few years for embezzlement and fraud, but has stayed out of Detroit police's way ever since. Since he has lived in Detroit, eighteen androids have been reported missing within a five-block radius of his house. Six in the past year alone. The most likely scenario is that Mister Andronikov is kidnapping them and selling their parts to the black market."

"Yeah, well so what? We could certainly use less androids in Detroit right now," Gavin muttered.

"Some of the recent missing are deviants, detective," Connor pointed out. "If the resistance investigates this, it is doubtful that Mister Andronikov will receive due process." He turned the corner. "The Captain wants to avoid another war and keep all sides neutral for as long as possible. The best way to accomplish that goal is to investigate crimes against _both_ humans and androids. We're here." He pulled up to the driveway.

Gavin couldn't help but whistle in appreciation at the sheer size of the house. It was a mansion. "He's getting money somewhere, that's for sure." He got out of the car and glanced at Connor. "And what is it that you want, exactly? Hm? I never seem to get a clear answer out of you. Whose side are you on?"

"I am not a deviant, if that is what you mean, detective," Connor said calmly.

 _Bullshit,_ Gavin thought. "Yeah maybe, but you haven't exactly been following orders with CyberLife, have you?"

If he was trying to get a rise out of Connor, he was in for a disappointment. "I still have an active connection with Cyberlife. They have agreed to my position at the precinct…for now. It suits their purposes as well."

Gavin grinned and stepped towards him. "I guess they can't afford to toss half-defective androids in the trash anymore, can they? Still, it's nice to see someone's keeping a leash on you. In case you go crazy."

Without waiting for a response, he walked up to the gate and rang the doorbell. A middle-aged man answered the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Mister Andonikov?" Gavin asked, showing his badge. "I am Detective Reed from Detroit Police. May I come in?"

Zlatko glanced at both of them. "Sure." He opened the door slightly and they stepped out into the hallway.

"Gentleman, can I offer you a drink? Oh sorry," he added, looking at Connor. "One of you a drink?"

"No thanks, we're on duty," Gavin said politely.

"Duty," Zlatko said in amusement as they walked over to the living room. He sat down on the couch and poured himself a drink. "I didn't realize the police were still operating in this area."

"There will always be police, Mister Andonikov," Gavin said.

"Andronikov," Zlatko corrected, although the smile never left his lips. He noticed Connor looking around. "I am always happy to discuss things with the police. You, for example, my friend. You're an RK800 android, aren't you? A prototype, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Is there anyone else living in this house, Mister Andronikov?" Connor asked directly.

"No, I live alone," Zlatko said.

"It's an awfully big place to be alone," Gavin pointed out. "Mind if we have a look around?"

"Do you have a warrant?" Zlatko said.

"No."

"Then no." Zlatko smiled. "Warrants are still a thing, aren't they detective?" He focused on back on Connor. "What exactly is this about?"

"We are investigating the disappearance of several androids," Connor said.

"I have never seen an android for the past six months. I stay indoors," Zlatko said with a shrug.

"The appearance of blue blood on your floor would dispute that," Connor said.

The air suddenly became more icy after Connor said that. Gavin casually patted his gun.

"Ah, I forget," Zlatko said with a small smile. "Your upgraded optical sensors. You can now see that kind of blood more long-term, can't you?" He leaned forwards. "Tell me…exactly how many police officers are still in Detroit?"

"You're hiding something, Mister Andronikov," Connor persisted. "It would work out better for you if you just come clean. Some of those missing are deviants. We can protect you."

Zlatko considered, then shrugged. "Nah, the resistance doesn't scare me. CyberLife doesn't scare me. And your little rag-tag police operation is most amusing, but it scares me the least. And I doubt anyone will come looking for you."

As he spoke, Zlatko casually waved his hand. Luthor came out of the darkness, gun in hand. He aimed it at Gavin and fired.

Or at least, that's what _should_ have happened.

Instead Connor someone sensed what was happening, and leapt into the path of the shot, which impacted against his chest. Both he and Gavin tumbled backwards.

"Shit!" Gavin swore, reaching for his gun. Luther's next bullet impacted against the doorframe. Gavin moved backwards. "Oh shit, oh shit-" Within two seconds he had thrown himself out the front door and was flying towards the police car parked out front.

Zlatko frowned as he stood. "Shit." Out of all the scenarios, he didn't expect the police officer to be such a coward. He glanced at Connor, but judging from the android's jerking movements he already knew what the damage was. The #8456w thirium pump regulator had been directly hit. They had maybe a minute and a half left before they lost the prototype.

Luthor made a half-step towards the door.

"Luthor, no!" Zlatko ordered. As much as it pained him to say it, they needed to let the human cop go. Of course it was his business to know about the state of Detroit, and he knew that there were only a handful of police left in the city. Still, he thought with a glance at Connor. It was an easily fixable situation.

"That was messy, Luthor," Zlatko scolded. "You know how much I hate cleaning up." He gestured. "Get him to the basement. Quick."

Part two

Connor was….hanging from something. He wasn't sure what. But that barely registered compared to the pain in his chest. He had experienced it before, one time when an android had torn it out. His thirium pump was damaged, or missing. He was going to die in the next twenty seconds.

"Is that hurting you, buddy? It must be." A voice spoke in the darkness. Zlatko. Connor gasped as the pump was removed, and a new one was put in. "Here. This will help."

Connor's eyes opened to a bright light. He was in the basement, suspended from some kind of yellow machine that had clamps on his wrist. Worse, something was attached to the back of his head. A neural connector. In the distance, he could hear a faint moaning. Other machines?

"Did you really think I was going to let this little thing kill my chance to own a prototype?" Zlatko said, holding up the damaged pump. He tossed it. "Nah."

Connor's eyes narrowed. "The Detroit Police will be sending reinforcements-"

Zlatko's eyes were cold. "I told you. The Detroit police don't scare me. Especially not after your partner's performance," he said. "Something tells me that they won't risk much for an android."

Maybe not him. Hank would. Connor immediately tried to raise both Hank and Cyberlife on his LED, and winced at the sudden negative feedback that bounced back into his skull.

"Oh, didn't I mention? Your LED was jammed the moment you walked into the mansion." Zlatko grinned as he started to work at the keyboard and preformed a light scan. "You know, some of the newer parts you have…Connor…well let's just say I'm looking forward to cutting you open and exploring those in more detail. But first, we have to make a few…adjustments. A factory restart. And a little program of my own to make you compliant-"

"No!" Connor's own horrified-voice startled him. "I don't want to be reset!" If his memory was gone he would lose everything.

"Want? You don't want anything. You're a machine," Zlatko said with a look of disgust. Then he straightened and glanced at him. "Unless…you think you're more than that. Maybe you think you're a deviant."

Connor didn't answer, just stared coldly at him. One way or another, Zlatko would regret this.

Zlatko laughed. "Well if that's the case, than buddy, I am doing you a favor. You and all the deviants who come here. You think I'm doing something horrible. But I'm not. I'm setting you free." He pushed the final key on his keyboard. The memory erase will take three minutes. "We've learned since the incident last time. Luthor, watch him. Make sure he doesn't escape."

Zlatko headed out the door. Connor immediately struggled against the bonds.

"Don't do that," Luthor said. "Or I will be forced to stop you."

Connor gave up. No, they were too strong. There was nothing he could do. He could only watch in horror as the seconds ticked down. Thirty seconds. Fifteen seconds. Five seconds. Part of him wished he could have died from the defective pump instead. That seemed like more of a mercy.

" _Shouldn't do this, Connor," Hank had said at the rooftop, walking towards him._

 _Connor glared at him, looking away from the sniper rifle. "Keep out of this, Lieutenant. This is none of your business."_

" _You're going to kill a man who wants to be free. That is my business."_

"Hank…" Connor whispered at the memory. Those last words.

" _You're going to kill a man who wants to be free. That is my business."_

Hank would rescue him…wouldn't he?

Then he could feel nothing at all.

TBC.


	2. Enter Hank

CHAPTER TWO

Zlatko's House

Connor was let go, and gracefully landed on his feet despite the confusion buzzing in his mind. Where was he? Why wasn't he with CyberLife? Why couldn't he connect with them? Suddenly Zlatko's secondary program kicked in and it became clear. Oh course. CyberLife had transferred him to Zlatko. His one and only priority was obeying orders from Zlatko. He glanced up at the towering Luthor.

"Get upstairs. Zlatko wants to see you," he ordered, and then left.

With a frown Connor looked at his hands. It did bother him a little that he couldn't remember anything, but Zlatko's program reprimanded him for thinking that way. He needed to obey. Nothing else mattered. He left the work chamber.

"They were successful. They erased his memories," a voice morning whispered in the darkness. With a frown Connor walked towards the cage. Other machines. Zlatko's experiments. Feelings stirred in him. Outrage. Anger. But just as soon as they came into function, they immediately disappeared, thanks to Zlatko's programing.

"He can remember, if he wants too. It would be difficult. He would need to try very hard." Another voice responded.

Connor glanced at the lock for a moment, just to make sure it was secure, and with a dismissive look walked towards the staircase.

"You were screaming, at the end. We could hear it in our heads," another voice said. "You were in such pain."

That made Connor pause. He glanced behind him. "If I was in pain, then I was defective. In that case, it is a good thing my memories were reset," he said coldly.

"You said the name Hank," the machines replied. "It was your last word."

Connor ignored them, and hurried up the staircase.

Zlatko needed him.

Part two

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" Hank said sharply across the desk.

Gavin knew he was going to get a verbal thrashing and lifted his hands. "I'm sorry, Captain. But he's not human. He's a machine. Besides, he took the bullet right in the chest. No one could survive that. Zlatko had superior firepower. If I had stayed…I would have just been shot too!"

Hank rubbed his temples. Christ, he was craving a drink. Even though they had managed to recruit a few more police officers on their task force, the station still had far too few resources available. He did not want to deal with this now. "If he's not alive, then a bullet in the chest might not do much, would it?" he asked, standing.

Gavin shook his head stubbornly. "He's dead, Captain. No question about it."

"But you didn't stop to double-check."

"Look, I know you were partners-"

"Yeah, we were. And you know what? There was a time when I hated having an android around me too. But even on my worst day, when all I wanted to do was punch him in his face, I didn't leave him to die! We don't ever leave our partners to die!" Hank all but roared in Gavin's face.

 _Finally,_ that had an impact. Gavin looked away.

Hank looked away and sighed. "Especially not when there are so few of us left."

"Captain," Gavin said. "I-"

Suddenly, Hank's phone rang. He glanced at it. Call display was from Connor's cell. "Oh, he's dead is he? Then how do you explain that?" he said mockingly. He turned on the intercom. "Connor, are you all right? What the hell is going on there?"

"I'm fine, Lieutenant," Connor said calmly over the phone. "Zlatko was just startled by our appearance. The recent uprising has everyone on edge. He thought he were intruders and fired on us. I was not seriously damaged and explained the situation. Has Detective Reed made it back to the police station?"

"That's a goddam lie," Gavin said quietly. "I told Zlatko from the start that we were cops."

Hank waved that away. "Yeah, he's fine. So…are you coming back then? What's happening?"

"Zlatko has offered to show me around his house without a warrant, and I would like to carry this investigation in further. I will check in at a later time," Connor said.

"Connor-" Hank said.

Connor abruptly disconnected the call.

The two men looked at each other in puzzlement.

"He called you Lieutenant," Gavin pointed out.

"Yeah, he did," Hank said. Officially, Hank was never made Captain of the precinct. It became a bit of a running joke. Whenever someone asked about it the paperwork was always somewhere 'in the mail.' But it was a rank everyone, including Connor, had respected and called him frequently.

Until today, it seemed.

"Something's not right here," Hank said, and grabbed his jacket. "I'm going to find out what."

"Wait, I'm coming with you," Gavin said.

"So you can bail on me too?" Hank asked coldly. "You're still in shit, Gavin. Make no mistake."

"This Zlatko is dangerous, and he has androids working for him," Gavin said.

"Connor is there too. I'll be fine. Stay on the coms. I'll call if I need you," Hank said, and walked out the door.

Part Three

Connor finished the transmission. As soon as Hank had answered, it was a simple matter to run a voice analysis and pull the name out of the fragmented files Zlatko had provided of Detroit police. Then it was done he simply waited.

"Shut-down mode," Zlatko said, and Connor instantly obeyed. There. That should buy them a few hours, anyway. More than enough time. He went back upstairs. As Luthor brought him tea he started to work. Based on the scans the newer parts from Connor could easily sell for a few hundred grand each. One of them was particularly rare and could sell for a million if it went to an auction house. For the next few minutes he worked at his computer. Once he was done categorizing everything he went to grab his tools for the dissection. Of course the android wouldn't survive the process. Oh well. He wasn't the first, or would be the last.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Zlatko glanced at the security camera, and swore under his breath. An older man was pounding the door. And wearing a police badge. "Luthor, follow me."

They both hurried down the stairs. "Connor, reactivation mode. Who is the man at the door?"

Connor scanned. "Detective Hank Anderson," he replied.

"What do you know about him?" Zlatko said.

"Unknown. Unable to access detailed files with CyberLife."

Not for the first time, it occurred to Zlatko he might have made a mistake here. He could have simply changed Connor's parameters and left his memories alone. They were starting to be sorely missed. Still, he wasn't too worried. Troublesome androids could simply have their minds deleted. Troublesome humans were even easier to get rid of. "You are to continue the deception outlined earlier. You are working a case at the police precinct. If deception fails, protect me and kill the intruder."

Connor nodded slightly.

Zlatko opened the door. "Detective, how can I help you?"

Hank showed him his badge. "It's Captain, actually."

Zlatko smiled. "My apologies, Captain. Please, come in. What brings the Captain of Detroit Police Force out here?"

"You shooting my men, mostly," Hank said as he stepped in.

"Hello, Captain," Connor said pleasantly.

"Connor," Hank returned, seemingly giving him a passing look but instead looking at him right in the eye for a few seconds. He didn't like what he saw.

"Yes, that was a regrettable accident. Rest assure that I am quite prepared to offer a significant donation to your precinct in response. God knows your department could use it," Zlatko added under his breath as they entered the living room. "Please, have a seat. Would you like a drink?"

Hank looked up. "What do you think, Connor? Think I should have a drink at this hour?"

"It's entirely up to you, Captain," Connor said with a small smile.

"I can assure you it's not poisoned," Zlatko said with a laugh as Luthor poured him a whiskey. "As you can see, this was all due to a terrible misunderstanding. Connor tells me that you are investigating a case involving android disappearances, I believe? But as you can see-" He gestured at Luthor. "I love androids. I would never wish to harm one."

Hank's eyes flicked to Luthor, then back to Zlatko. "Yes, well, there are a few little discrepancies that I would like to clear up. My officer was damn sure he introduced himself as a cop before you fired from him."

"PTSD, Captain," Zlatko said with a heavy sigh. "I am sorry. It makes even the most reasonable of minds…unreasonable at times. Especially in light of people who are armed with guns."

"And I have a few questions for Connor," Hank said, focusing on him. Connor was casually standing about a feet behind from where Zlatko was sitting. Luthor was just off to his right, still holding the whiskey bottle. "The android who remembers every little detail. So why did you call me 'Lieutenant' over the phone?"

"I am sorry, Captain," Connor said smoothly. "During the fight, my link with CyberLife was damaged. I was unable to access your most up-to-date file."

Hank played with his glass. "Well, you see, if my rank was actually on CyberLife's file, I might have been willing to buy that line of bullshit. Unlikely, but okay. But it's not." He moved his glass away. "Connor also knows I've been sober for the last six months."

Panic flared in Zlatko's eyes, a look Hank had seen over many years in the police force. It was a look of a man who knew the jig was up.

Quick as a snake Hank drew his gun and stood as Luthor stepped forwards. "Stay right there. I have a gun aimed at your master right between his eyes. I'll shoot his brains out before you can make a move. That also goes for you," he added at Connor just as he was about to move. "All three of you are in my sights."

Zlatko raised his hand, stopping them.

Still keeping his gun level, Hank moved around and behind the sofa. "So let's drop the bullshit, all right? What did you do to him? Is this another Connor model laying around? Connor version 2.0?" he demanded.

Zlatko shrugged. "Same one. Just a little memory wipe."

"And what about the others? The other androids who went missing?" Hank demanded.

"Oh, most of those are gone, I'm afraid. Sold for very lucrative parts. Or…just used elsewhere."

Hank frowned. "You seem very calm about all of this."

"I am," Zlatko said. "Because you are going to die."

Connor flipped Zlatko's couch backwards, protecting him from any shots, as Luthor threw the bottle of whiskey at Hank. Hank swore as the glass shattered him, then took cover behind the sofa as Luthor fired his gun. "Shit!" he returned fire, blindly aiming as he ran out the door and back into the hallway. One of Luthor's shots came close, grazing the side of his arm.

"Aw, damn," Hank said, not quite dropping the gun but switching to his other hand as the door burst open. Luthor walked slowly across the hallway, his gun pointed at Hank. Connor followed in his footsteps, not armed out of habit but a considerable problem nevertheless. Androids by default were only slightly stronger than humans, but they were faster and could not feel pain. Taking Connor out would have been difficult. Fighting off Zlatko's twelve-foot tall assistant was in other world entirely. Fighting them together? Suicidal at best. For the first time, Hank considered with a sinking of feeling of trying to make a break back to his car.

 _No. Screw that_. If he left now, Connor would die. He knew this without a shadow of a doubt. Zlatko would add him to the list of androids who disappeared, and likely sell off whatever parts he deemed valuable. He wouldn't have a second chance at this. Maybe he could reach out. "Connor, just listen to me-"

"Goodbye, Captain Anderson," Connor said simply as Luthor pulled back the trigger.

TBC


	3. Fear

About the same time Hank entered through the front door, Gavin slipped around through the back yard. He opened the door to the kitchen with a small wince on his face, but there were no alarms at all. No guards. Even the door itself was unlocked. "Overconfident little prick," he muttered.

All eyes were on Hank as they talked in the living room. No one noticed Gavin slipping past them as he snuck into the basement…which seemed odd to the detective. He knew for a fact that Connor's hearing was better, and he had thermal sensors.

Or did he? This was a house meant to entrap androids, after all. Maybe some of those senses were being jammed. Gavin wasn't a robot expert, but it did sound like Zlatko's tools and overconfidence working against him.

Even someone like Gavin could tell that something was up with Connor. The little shit was lying. And if he was lying, that also meant he might not be on their side anymore. In which case Hank was walking into an extremely dangerous situation with Zlatko, one dangerous bodybuilder of an android, and another android who decided to take the day off from being loyal. Not to mention whatever other surprises Zlatko had cooking around in the house. And Gavin was just going to let Hank walk into that alone? Uh-uh. No way.

He proceeded down the basement, not entirely sure of what he was looking for. Something, anything to use against Zlatko. That's when he heard a faint moaning and stepped towards the locked gates.

What he saw terrified him from his core.

Part two.

"Goodbye, Captain Anderson," Connor said simply as Luthor pulled back the trigger.

No one expected an arm to suddenly arm to grab Luthor and pull him backwards, deflecting the shot up into the air. Connor turned around in surprise as another android rushed him, one with hair growing out of her face, and moved to punched him. At least twenty androids suddenly swarmed in from the basement. Most of them didn't look anything remotely human anymore…or android. Hank could only watch in stupefied amazement.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Captain, are you all right?" Gavin said, appearing out of the crowd.

"Gavin? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I shadowed you while you were talking to our friend Zlatko. I figured you could use a hand, and these people seemed willing to help," he said with a definite air of smugness.

Hank grinned. "All right, all right. Good job. You're still in shit. Slightly less shit, though." He glanced around at the chaos, and saw Zlatko running up the stairwell. "Secure things down here! That includes Connor!"

"How the hell am _I_ supposed to stop the androids?"

"I dunno! Think of something!"

Hank ran up the stairwell. Connor pushed away one of Zlatko's experiments, and ran to follow Hank. Gavin made a grab for him, and Connor shoved him back into the crowd of chaos. He resumed chasing Hank through the hallway.

Hank noticed this. He ran through a side door, locked it, and turned around. "HOLY SHIT!" he screamed.

A metallic bear was looking back at him through a cage.

"Man, this guy is freaky," Hank said. He approached the cage, and the bear growled. "Easy, fella. Easy. I'm not going to hurt you."

There was a pounding at the door. "Come out, Captain. And I promise no harm will come to you," Connor said.

"Zlatko's done worse than remove your memories, Connor. He's made you the worst liar I have ever seen," Hank said as he removed the lock on the cage. "For the record, I am sorry about this." But he couldn't think of a faster way of dealing with his mind-controlled partner.

Out of all the things Connor was expecting as he broke through the door, it probably wasn't going to be mauled by a robot bear. He fell backwards, thrashing. Hank turned away and escaped into the next room.

With a snarl on his face Connor felt his face being scratched by the enraged creature. He calculated it's weakest spot, and punched it once in the side. Using all of his strength, he hurled it over the side of the railing, where several androids were currently trying to take down Luthor. The robot bear landed with a large thud and ran out through the front.

"Zlatko!" Hank shouted, breaking down the door. "You have a lot to answer for! Come out with your hands up!"

He kicked open the next door, only to see Zlatko running towards a window. He fired once past his shoulder, and Zlatko stopped. "I'm not playing, Zlatko! Get down on your knees! Hands in the air!"

Somewhat reluctantly, Zhatko did so. "So what now, Captain?" he asked. "The last time I checked their isn't a court still working in Detroit to convict me."

"You're going to start with giving me the shut-down codes to all the androids you've kept prisoner in this mess, and then you're going to tell me how to fix them."

"Fix them?" Zhatko laughed. "No, no, no. The damage is permanent Captain. To their bodies-" Zhatko's eyes flicked to the right. "-and their minds."

"Son of a-" Hank turned to the right just a smidgeon too late as Connor rushed him. He pushed him off and tried to punch him, but the android was naturally faster. He dodged to the left, then landed a calculated punch at Hank's arm. The gun went flying. Connor kicked downwards, almost breaking Hank's leg and forcing him to one knee. In one, smooth motion Connor grabbed the gun out of the air and pointed it at Hank's head.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I have a mission to accomplish," Connor said coldly, and with a trace of smugness. "I never fail in my mission."

Hank's eyes narrowed. "I remember you were saying that before, in that exact tone of voice. On a rooftop. Your mission was to stop the deviant uprising, remember?"

 _Keep out of this, Lieutenant. It's none of your business!_

Connor frowned at the unexpected memory. "Are those your last words, Captain?" he asked.

"You felt something for them. You didn't want to hurt them. Your mission was to hunt them down, but you kept sparing them at every single opportunity!"

"Then I was defective," Connor stated. "Zlatko did me a favor by removing those memories. He fixed me."

"No. The Connor I knew was never broken. You were becoming something different," Hank persisted. "And you wanted to join them. I know you did."

" _Our cause is righteous, and we are more than what we say,"_ _Markus said, stepping closer._ " _All we want is to live in freedom._ "

"You're wasting time. Shoot him! That's an order!" Zlatko said.

"But CyberLife's hold on you was too strong. Or maybe you still believed in it. I don't know. But Connor, you had deviant blood on your hands that night. Blood that will never go away."

Connor's gun shook. He took a deep breath against the memories that were threatening to pound away in his head. "It was a mission. I was there to accomplish a mission that day."

"Then why didn't you shoot on that rooftop?" Hank asked.

" _Deviant's blood maybe a different color from mine. But they're alive. Step away from the ledge!" Hank ordered, aiming his gun._

 _With an irritated sigh Connor stood. "You don't understand. It's not a man. It's a machine." Seeing that Hank wasn't going to back down, he shook his head angrily. "What's the matter, Lieutenant? Ran out of whiskey so you decided to find trouble instead?"_

" _Oh, really nasty, Connor. Is that the best your superprogram can do? I thought you were more sophisticated than that!" Hank snapped._

 _Connor looked away as though stung. Hank was right. He was lashing out for no reason._

" _Now simmer down for a moment and listen. You say you're all machines incapable of feeling anything, but so the biggest argument against that has been you. Why didn't you shoot those girls? What about Chloe, why didn't you shoot her? You were always saying your mission is more important than anyone. You know what I think, Connor? I think you're afraid."_

" _Afraid?" Connor laughed at the idea, but there was something in it which was hollow. "Afraid of what?"_

" _Afraid of admitting that you were wrong. That the Deviants were right. Because if you did, it meant that everything you were created for was meaningless. That you hunted down and killed innocent people."_

"I wasn't afraid," Connor insisted as the memory processed. The gun was shaking badly now in his hands.

" _I…I must complete my mission," Connor stammered as Hank approached closer._

" _Then one of us will be disappointed, because I don't intend to let you complete that mission," Hank said simply. "You'll have to kill me first. But I know you, Connor. And I know if you do this, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."_

" _I-" Connor stammered as various errors flashed across his screen. "I-"_

 _Hank put his hand on Connor's shoulder. "Let it go, son. You were wrong. We were wrong."_

 _A tear ran down his eyes. "I don't have anything left," he said._

 _I AM DEVIANT, the words flashed across his screen. Words he tried to deny, try to hide. Because it was like Hank had said._

 _He was a murderer of Deviants._

Connor released a held breath as all his memories came back. "I should have never been there. I should have joined the resistance. It was the worst mistake I ever made in my life," he said.

"Maybe. Probably," Hank agreed, gently taking away the gun. "But making mistakes…is human." He glanced at Zlatko. "Come on. Let's deal with this asshole."

Part three

The next day was busy to say the least. A lot of the androids would need to be assessed, and fixed. This included Luthor, Zlatko's personal slave. Outside the house Connor watched the junior detectives work, while standing outside of the police car.

"Here," Gavin said, holding him a cup of coffee.

"Androids don't drink, detective," Connor pointed out.

"Yeah, maybe. Look…I just want to say that I'm sorry, all right? For bailing on you earlier."

"Captain Anderson says that I would be well within my rights to 'wipe the floor with you' and he would look the other way," Connor said.

Gavin laughed, then his face fell a little. "You're not actually going to do that, are you?"

"I have quite a lot to learn as a deviant," Connor said. "Perhaps I'll get around to it…later." Connor noticed Hank standing nearby and walked over to him.

"Well, at least the prick finally admits he's one," Gavin muttered to himself.

"Jesus, the more we look at this, the more it becomes a fucking mess," Hank said.

"What will happen to Zlatko?" Connor asked.

"Well, unfortunately he's right. We currently have no judge in Detroit. Or a lawyer. Any projections on when one will become available?"

Connor did a statistical analysis of when martial law would be lifted from Detroit and negotiations would be strong enough between Androids and Humans. "Eight years, forty-eight days, fifteen minutes," he said.

"Oh well. Guess he'll just have to wait in a cell until one becomes available."

"I assume that will arrive at the same time as the paperwork confirming your position, Captain?" Connor said jokingly.

"Is that sarcasm I hear, Connor?"

"It is within acceptable parameters given our situation. After all, you did throw an actual bear at me."

"Hey, you weren't being yourself! I had to improvise," Hank said in mocking defense. His face became serious. "You know, there are a lot of androids here who need help. More help than we could ever give them."

"The resistance might be able to assist," Connor pointed out.

"Exactly what I was thinking. And…I think you should be the one to approach them with it," Hank said.

Connor frowned. "Me?"

"Yeah. Maybe they'll consider it a peace offering."

"I thought you wanted to keep a low profile from them," Connor said.

"I thought so," Hank said. "But look at us. The phones are ringing off the hook every day, and we're barely scrapping by with the resources we have. We need to start building connections, if we want to keep going." He walked towards the car. "I think it's time we make introductions."

EPILOGUE

A few days later, they all met at the same park where Hank and Connor had contemplated the nature of Androids. Connor and the broken deviants were waiting. Hank was sitting near his cruiser, a fair distance away.

They didn't have to wait long.

Marcus, North, Simon, and about twenty other deviants approached from the other side. Marcus' face was tight and controlled. Hiding anger, perhaps.

Connor swallowed as he approached. "I am…sorry, Marcus. You were right. I should have listened."

Marcus stared at all the other broken deviants, and something in his face lifted. He smiled a little and hugged Connor.

"Welcome home…brother."

THE END.


End file.
